Indexing system.



E. S. DAVIS.

INDEXING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.17, 1912.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

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E. S. DAVIS. INDEXING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED PIP-3.17, 1912.

Ll fifile Patented Jan.19,1915.

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UNITE STATES PATENT oar-Ton.

ERNEST SPENCER DAVIS, OF BRISTOL, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 DAVIS AUTOMATIC FILING COMPANY, OF BRISTOL, TENNESSEE,

A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

INDEXING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915,

Original application filed October 31, 1911, Serial No. 657,846. Divided and this application filed February 17, 1912. Serial No. 678,291.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST S. DAvIs, citizen of the United States, residing at Bristol, in the county of Sullivan and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inIndexing Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in systems for indexing records of any character, such as insurance records, claims, real estate records and the like, the invention being )articularly designed for use in railroad o 'ces for keeping index card records of the arrival, departure or destination of freight cars.

The invention is also particularly desirable in the claims department or other departments of railroad systems. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to any specific use but is applicable where records of any character are kept by a card index system.

The invention has for its primary object an improved system for filing index records of the card type, in which the cards are so grouped and designated that a minimum amount of mental selection will be required of the operator in order to find any card desired, the cards themselves being provided with indicia designating numerically the particular compartment in which they are to be disposed, and the system providing for a corresponding numbering of the primary, secondary, and tertiary compartments, whereby the operator in selecting a card or replacing a card may turn immediately to the proper compartment. The cards are preferably so arranged that they may be inserted within this compartment in any order and yet be taken therefrom without the necessity of looking all over the cards in the same compartment.

- My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet together with a table upon which the cabinet may be conveniently supported, one of the drawer like cases being pulled out and rotated to a display position; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through one of the cases and through the sections carried thereby; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of two of the sections removed from the case; Fig. 4. is a plan view of the same sections and the compartments subdividing the same; Fig. 5 is a face view ofa portion of one of the index cards; Fig. 6 1s a diagrammatic View of a section subdivlded into compartments and the cards dis osed therein.

orresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters. Referring to the drawing the numeral 1 designates the body portion or housing of my improved cabinet, the same being formed with a base 2, a back, a top 4 and sldes 5, the front of the cabinet being open and the base extending forward of the open front to provide for the support of the drawer supporting bars hereinafter described. If desired the cabinet may be supported upon a specially devised table frame 6 and used in connection with a shelf or leaf 7. The table frame and the leaf 7 and the particular construction of the cabinet and its correlated parts form no part of the present invention and are shown and described merely to illustrate the practical working ofthe system which I have devised. The specific mechanism of the cabinet illustrated in Fig. 1 is fully described and claimed in my application, Serial Number 657 ,816, filed October 31, 1911, of which case this present application is a division. The cabinet 1 contains a plurality of slidmg cases which may be compared to vertically disposed drawers. preferably vertically disposed, as will appear from the ensuing specification, and said cases, designated 12 as a whole, when retracted or closed are flush with the open front of the cabinet 1.

I have illustrated in the drawing the cabinet as being provided with ten of these cases numbered from 0 to 9. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to this number, or to any particular number of drawer like cases, as the.

number will depend upon the size of' the record to be kept and upon other exigencies of the case. As these cases 12 are all alike a These cases are description of one will suflice, the case designated 9 at the right hand end of the cabinet being selected for this purpose.

The specific constructlon of the case and.

its supporting mechanism is fully described in my prior application, above referred to, but it may be said that the case includes a bottom supporting bar 13 extending forwardly over the forward extension of the base 2, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, a rear standard 1 1, rigid to and rising upward from the supporting bar 13 near the rear end thereof, and a relatively short upper bar 15 connected to and extending forwardly from the upper end of the standard 1 1-. The case also in the present embodiment of the invention includes a slide 17 which is pivoted at its upper and lower edges intermediate the ends thereof as at 18 to swing about a vertical axis or pivot carried by the upper bar 15 and arm 13. The said slide has secured to its forward edge a vertically disposed or elongated panel or strip 19, serving with its companion panels of the other drawers to present a closed front to the cabinet when the drawers are all pushed in.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, each slide comprises a back piece 20, a rear vertical standard 21, the outer vertical panel or strip 19, and a transversely extending bottom strip 22 through which a lower pivot pin 18 passes into the slide 13. The cards contained in pockets 25 are arranged in regular order, these pockets as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 being each swingingly mount ed upon a pair of rods 23 which are. pivoted at their upper ends to the members 21 and 18 respectively and which at their lower ends are connected by a cross bar 24 from which projects an outwardly extending slotted member 2 1 through the slot of which projects the upwardly extending pin 21 which as will be noted from Fig. 2 is cocentrically disposed to the pivot pin 18 so that when the case 12 is withdrawn from the cabinet 1 and rotated upon its pivotal centers 18 and 18 the pin 2 1 will cause the lower end of the rods 23 to swing outward thus carrying the card compartments into an inclined position more favorable to inspection than if the cards were allowed to remain in a vertical position. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the card pockets or cone partments 25 are rectangular in form but having a front wall of a less height than the cards contained therein.

As illustrated in my prior application means are provided whereby any particular case may be shifted from the cabinet or housing 1 and automatically swung to a position facing the operator, and whereby at the same time the index cards are presented in the most favorable position for examination. Means are also shown in my prior application for locking the parts in their projected position. Inasmuch as these automatic. devices are fully shown and described in my prior application, 1 do not deem it necessary in this case to further refer to the same.

In order that a clear understanding may be had of the fundamental principles of this system of filing records, reference is made to the diagrammatic View in Fig. 6. By reference to this view it will be seen that each case is divided into a plurality of sections and each of these sections in turn is divided into a plurality of card compartments, each compartment being capable of containing ten cards, there being ten sections to a case, ten card compartments to each section and ten cards to each compartment.

The diagrammatic view, Fig. 6, shows a construction which while differing in details from the construction shown in Fig. 1, is precisely the same in principle, and in order to show the principle of operation of the construction, in Fig. 6, the card lifting keys, to be hereafter described, are omitted and the sections are shown as being disposed in the same plane instead of in a plurality of planes. As illustrated in this diagrammatic view, the case is supposed to be divided into two lateral halves by means of a vertical member 27 (which corresponds to the keys 17 of the construction shown in Fig. 1) and separates a section on one side of the case from the section on the other side. Each lateral half of the case would therefore be divided into five sections by means of suitable division members 25. Each section in turn is divided into ten .pockets by means of transversely extending division members 26. In Fig. 6, the sec tions are numerically indicated by means of numerals placed upon the side walls of the case. The pockets are indicated by numerals O to 9 for each section placed upon the intermediate division member 27 (just as in Fig. 41- the pockets are indicated by numerals placed upon the keys 1-7) and the positions of the cards in the pockets are indicated by numerals 0 to 9 extending along the division members 25 1n Figs. 3 and 1 the keys 47 separate the sections and to this extent form the equivalent of the separating member 27. Each compartment 26 is designed to contain ten cards, and as there are ten of these compartments each section will contain 100 cards; as there are 10 sections in each case 17, each case will contain 1,000 cards; and in the illustration of my invention given in F ig. 1, as there are ten of these cases, the cabinet itself will contain 10,000 cards. The cards contained within the compartments 26 are all of the same character and differ from each other merely in the fact that the tab 28 of each card for the same compartment is differently placed from the tab of any other card. For instance, one of the cards of a compartment has its tab 28 placed at the end and is numbered 0. The card having the tab placed to the right of the tab of the first card is numbered 1. The next succeeding card has its tab so placed that it is disposed to the right of the card having the tab in the first place and so on, so that when the cards are in proper position within the proper compartment, the tabs 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, will be seen immediately above the numerals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 marked upon the division member 25. Thus in Fig. 6, by reading downward upon the vertical separating member or wall 27 and then reading upward along any column designated by any one of the numerals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, the proper card may be immediately secured, this card having its tab projecting at a point intersected by a line extending from the proper numeral upon the separating member 27 and the proper numeral upon the member 25. The same result is secured in the construction shown in Fig. 3 by pressing down upon the proper key 47 and raising all the cards in a pocket, after which the cards are selected by number. As before stated, each pocket or compartment 26 contains 10 cards and each card carries upon it four or more indicating numerals For example, one receptacle 26 may contain 10 cards, one of the cards being indexed 9451. All of the other cards of the same box will be indexed with the first three digits of this number, that is, with the 4, 5 and 9, but the fourth digit will be different, as for instance 9452, 9453, 9454 and so on up to 9459, the series beginning with 9450. The fourth digit from the right on each card containing the numeral 9 will refer to the drawer or case in which all cards whose first digit is 9 are to be found. If it is desired to find the card containing the index number 9453, the operator will pull out the case having the numeral 9 at the top. The next numeral on the card is 4 and therefore the operator refers to the fourth section which contains all cards whose first digit is 9 and whose second digit is 4. If now the third digit be 5 the operator will refer to the column of vertical figures on one margin of the section 9 and until he arrives at the compartment numbered 5. All cards belonging to the 9th case, the fourth section and the fifth compartment will be found in this compartment 5. The last numeral on the card being 3 the operator will select the card whose tab projects immediately in alinement with the numeral 3 of the separating member 25, which will be the card numbered 9453. In placing the card back in the receptacle, he will follow the same operation. It will be seen that with this system a card numbered 9453 belongs in the ninth case, the fourth section, the fifth receptacle and has a tab which projects up in the third column of said receptacle. As

another example, let it be presumed that the operator desires the index card containing the numeral 8321. He will pull out number 8 drawer or case, reach his hand toward the section denoted by the numeral 3 and reaching into the compartment numbered 2 will extract the card having thereon the number 1 as its last digit. It is believed that these two examples are sufficient to show how the system operates. As an amplification of the system, however, should the operator desire a card numbered 129,453 or 309,453, he will still go to the 9 caseand to the fourth section of said case and extract from the pocket 5 the card 3. For each card indexed as 9453, the number printed thereon will contain a plurality of duplications of such number with spaces in front wherein the other numbers preceding the 9 may be placed.

It will be seen that my improved system has been worked out on a basis of tens and also on a basis of four digits for the lowest number in the series, the fourth digit or numerals from the right of the number being the key or starting numeral, the second digit referring to the secondary compartment the third digit referring to the tertiary subdivision or compartment within the section, and the fourth digit referring to the place of the card within the said compartment.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and more fully described in my prior application, I showed a series of sections numbered from 0 to 9 and arranged in pairs, the sections of each pair being separated from each other by keys 47, these. keys acting to raise the cards in any desired compartment. In this form of my invention it will be seen that I provide each case with a series of sections, each section having in turn therein a series of separate card pockets or compartments and each compartment being provided with 10 cards disposed with their several tabs registering with the numerals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, as previously described. The construction and arrangement of the keys 47 whereby the cards within any desired compartment are raised, forms no part of my present invention and inasmuch as it is fully described in the prior application needs no further description here. It may be stated, however, that the numbers upon the keys 47 of each section run naturally from 0 to 9, each key correv sponding to one of the card pockets or compartments of the section and that as a consequence each section in the form of my invention shown in my prior application has a corresponding number which may be plainly seen and by which the cards in any particular compartment may be secured or placed in position, and that therefore the particular form of the device shown in Fig.

1 is to all intents and purposes the same device as far as the system of indexing goes as that illustrated in the diagrammatic view in Fig. 4.

It will be seen that l. have provided a very simple and efficient system for indexing cards which will facilitate to a considerable degree the operation of finding any card indexed or replacing any card in its proper position. Furthermore, it will be noted that the system, like other card indexing systems, is practically a continuous one, because after any card has been filled up it may be removed from the case and filed among permanent records and replaced by a new card without disturbing any of the other cards or requiring a new apparatus, as is necessary where records are kept in permanently bound books or the like.

While I have illustrated an embodiment of my system in an apparatus whereby the system may be carried out, 1 wish it distinctly understood that I may use any apparatus which lends itself to the indexing system above described.

In order to carry out my system most effectually, it is necessary that the cabinet should contain 10,000 cards, no more, no less; that there should be 10 cases disposed within the cabinet, each case containing 1000 cards and being divided into 10 sections numbered consecutively from 0 to 9; that each section should be in turn subdivided into 10 compartments numbered consecutively from 0 to 9 and each compartment should contain 10 cards corresponding to the numerals O to 9 disposed across the front of the compartment.

While each card might be used for one particular item, as for instance notation relative to one particular case, where the cards are used for indexing a large number of items, as for instance in keeping track of the arrival or departure of freight cars etc., each card has upon its face 10 transversely extending spaces, each space being for the record of one car. Opposite each space is placed the number of tl e car, as for instance 9510, or this number is placed adjacent the uppermost space and ditto marks placed below. tical columns for additional numerals, the combination of numerals opposite any space giving the full number of the car. Thus for instance if it is desired to index a car numbered 149510, a card having the four digits 9510 is used and the first two digits 1 1 of the number 149510 are placed in the two columns on the left hand of the key numeral 9. All cards which have a number whose last four digits are 9510 are to be indexed on the 9510 card. Preferably there are ten spaces on the card for 10 entries which gives a capacity of 100,000 entries, but this may be doubled by using the To the left of this number are ver- I 1,125,ovi

back of the card for entries in the same manner as the front of the card is used. 0rdinarily, however, a capacity for 100,000 entries is amply sufficient. When a card is completely filled it is removed to a duplicate filing system and a new card having the same number put in place of the old, the new card containing the notation of some other indicia indicating that an old card has been removed to the duplicate system.

In order to show how completely my sys tem may be carried out, it is pointed out that the front panel of each case 17 may be provided with numerals indicating what are the numerals prefixed to the key numeral of cards placed in that particular case. Thus case number 1, as illustrated in Fig. 1, may have thereon the numerals 1 11--21314-151 13114:1 251, etc, the numeral 1 being the key numeral indicating the case or main group into which the cards are divided and the numerals to the left of 1 being the first and second numerals of the car number. fhe numerals to the left of the key numeral and the key numeral may be used as means for finding the card.

Attention is particularly called to the fact that I have tested this index system in connection with keeping track of freight cars and that whereas by the ordinary system in use on railroads it takes sometimes as much as two hours to find the record of a particular car, by my system the same card record may be discovered within a few seconds. t is further pointed out that by my improved system the cards in a compartment do not require to be handled in order to select one card from the pack, inasmuch as the position of the tab 28 plainly indicates the card wanted. In ordinary card systems it is necessary that the cards belonging to a certain subdivision at least be handled in order to discover the one card of that particularsubdivision required.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

1. A card indexing system consisting of cards arranged in successive groups, each group having its proper numeral, each group being subdiyided into smaller groups and each subdivided group being again subdivided into still smaller groups, each group and the several subdivisions thereof having a numeral and each card being provided with a series of numerals arranged in proper order to denote the group and the several subdivisions thereof within which the card belongs, and each card being provided with atab projecting from its edge and indicating its position in the final subdivision.

2. A card index system consisting of a caoinet divided into primary subdivisions, each primary subdivision being in turn divided into secondary subdivisions and each secondary subdivision being divided into tertiary subdivisions, each primary, and secondary subdivision having a denoting numeral arranged in conjunction therewith and each tertiary subdivision having in conjunction therewith a series of numerals arranged in successive order, and index cards having thereon a plurality of numerals corresponding to the primary, secondary and tertiary subdivisions respectively, and a tab projecting therefrom corresponding in position to one of the numerals conjoined with the tertiary subdivision.

3. An index system including a plurality of primary cases each subdivided into a pl urality of secondary sections, each section in turn subdivided into a plurality of tertiary card containing compartments, each case, section and compartment respectively having a designating character, and index cards each having a plurality of designating characters thereon denoting respectively and corresponding to the case, section and compartment in which the card belongs, each compartment having in conjunction therewith a series of successive characters and each card having an additional character corresponding in relative position to the same character in the proper compartment.

4:. An indexing system including a plurality of primary cases, each subdivided into a plurality of secondary sections, each section in turn subdivided into a plurality of tertiary card containing compartments and each case, section and compartment respectively having a designating number, and index cards each having a plurality of designating numbers thereon denoting respectively and corresponding to the case, section and compartment in which the card belongs, each compartment having in conjunction therewith a laterally extending series of successive numerals and'each card having a tab projecting from its edge and corresponding in relative position to a corresponding numeral of the series of numerals conjoined with the compartment.

5. An indexing system consisting of a plurality of cards arranged in ten primary numbered groups each having ten secondary numbered subdivisions, each in turn being divided into ten numbered tertiary subdivisions, each tertiary subdivision having in conjunction therewith a series of ten successive numbers, each card having thereon a plurality of numerals corresponding to the denoting numerals of the primary, second: ary and tertiary subdivisions respectively, and each card having thereon a numeral corresponding to one of the numerals oi the series of numerals conjoined with the compartment in which the card belongs, and each card being formed with a-tab projecting from one edge thereof and correspond ing in relative position on the card to the position of the corresponding numeral con-- joined with the compartment.

6. An index system including ten primary cases, each case subdivided into ten secondary sections, each section in turn subdivided into ten tertiary card containing compartments, each case, section and compartment respectively having a designating numeral, and index cards each having a plurality of designating numerals thereon arranged in successive order to denote respectively and corresponding to the numbers of the case, section and compartment in which the card belongs, each compartment having extending across the front thereof parallel to the longitudinal edge of the cards contained therein a series of ten numerals and each card having a final numeral corresponding to one of the ten numerals of the compartment in which the card belongs each card being provided with a projecting tab having a relative position on the card corresponding to the position of the corresponding numeral upon the card compartment.

7. A case provided with a designating character, a plurality of sections in said case, said sections being consecutivey numbered, a plurality of card compartments in each section, said compartments being consecutively numbered, and index cards carried in said compartments, said cards being tabbed and all of the cards in any one receptacle containing an indexing number, one digit of which corresponds to the number of the case in which the card is contained, the next digit being like the designating character of the section in which the card is contained, and the next digit being like the designating character of the compartment in which said card is contained.

8. An indexing system of the character described including a plurality of cases, each one of which displays a number, a plurality of sections in each case, a plurality of card compartments in each section, the cases being numbered from O to 9 and the sections being numbered from O to 9, the card compartments in each case being numbered from 0 to 9 and each compartment containing 10 index cards, every card containing four index digits, the fourth from one end of which is the number of the case in which the card is contained, the third from the said end denotin the number of the section in which the card is contained, the second from the said end denoting the number of the compartment in which said card is contained, the last digit being the number of the card in the compartment.

9. A system of indexing cards consisting of a plu ality of cards arranged in groups of one thousand cards to each group, each group having a group number, each main group being subdivided into ten minor mgepn sponding to the smaller subdivisions of the minor group to which the card belongs, and a last numeral indicating the relative position of the card in the last named group.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ERNEST SPENCER DAVIS.

Witnesses:

A. FAIVRE, C. P. CARTWRIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

